The first course:Pickels of Artichocks , Pickels of CowcombersPickels of Red beets Ramequin of Onions & GarlickEggs farcedPotage of Raspberries

The second course:Roast Chicken with Orange-Cinnamon sauce,Langouste with White sauceSalat of Lemon & OrangesRed Carrots fried with Brown butter & onionLentilsCream of Pistaches

The third course:Suckling Pig FarcedSparagus with CreamMushrums after the OlivierEggs with Bread

Please note that Orignial text: begins a new page of the documentation.Original text:Pickles of artichocks pg 203”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Cut of the choak, and what is too hard about them (that is called arichocks in bottoms), steep them in fresh water for to whiten them, drain and dry them; after this put them into a pot with Salt, pepper, viniger melted butter clove and some bay leaf. Cover them well, and keep until you have use for them and then unsalt them in lukewarm water; after they are unsalted, seeth them with butter or some peece of lard, or some fat. After they are sod, serve them with white sauce or garnished

Pickles of red beets pg 203 LaV• Wash them very clean and seeth them. When they are sod, peel them, and put them in a pot with salt, pepper, and vinegar, for to use them when you will.

Pickles of cowcombers pg 203 LaV• Take them very small, whiten them in fresh water, and stick them with cloves. Then put them in a pot with salt, pepper, vinegar and a bay leafe. Cover them so close that no air may get in, and serve them in salat.

Literal meaning of text:Pickles of artichokes: Clean and trim the artichoke, soak them (which could be done in hot or cold water) in fresh water, drain and dry them; after this put them into a pot with Salt, pepper, vinegar melted butter clove and some bay leaf. Cover them well, and keep until you have use for them and then desalt them in lukewarm water; after they are unsalted, soak them with butter or some piece of lard, or some fat. After they are done, serve them with white sauce or garnished

Pickles of red beet: Wash them very clean and soak them (which could be done in hot or cold water) in hot water. When they are cooked, peel them, and put them in a pot with salt, pepper, and vinegar, to be used when you need them.

Pickles of cucumbers: Pick them small, soak (which could be done in hot or cold water) them in fresh water and stick them with cloves. Then put them in a pot with salt, pepper, vinegar and a bay leaf. Cover them so that no air may get in, and serve them in salad.

First redaction:Pickles of artichokes• Canned/frozen artichokes, marinated in salt, doz. bay leafs, ½ doz. cloves, salt, pepper and ? vinegar. One week or so in brine checking every other day. To serve, rinse and poor melted butter on top. Can be served with white sauce or a garnish.

Pickles of red beets • Can of beets in water small whole ones. Marinade in salt, pepper, bay and ? vinegar. One week or so in brine checking every other day. To serve, drain and plate.

Pickles of cucumbers• Hothouse cucumbers sliced thin then marinade in salt, clove, sugar and ? vinegar.One week or so in brine checking every other day. To serve, drain and plate.

I have grouped all the pickled dishes together as they use very similar processes. I used canned artichokes and beets to make things simpler. Small chokes in the amounts needed would be very hard to find and not cost efficient for a feast. Small beets may be easier to find but time consuming to do for 100 plus people. Using canned vegetables also reduces time in the brine since they are canned in salt water with no added flavors. Small cucumbers the size needed are not commercially available. I could find as kosher dills or gherkins (pre-made variety), however I don’t think the pre-made pickles would be the right flavor. Slicing a large one is an acceptable substitution in my opinion. I tried all the pickles with a variety of vinegars to see which tasted better. The vinegars that were tested were red wine, distilled, rice, white wine and cider. Some were much better then others; the distilled was way to overpowering with any of the veggies, and the least likely used in “Period” so was quickly disqualified.

Final redaction:Pickles of artichokes• Canned artichokes, marinated in salt, doz. bay leafs, six cloves, salt, pepper and cider vinegar to cover. One - two days in brine. To serve, rinse and poor melted butter on top.

Pickles of cucumbers• Hothouse cucumbers sliced thin, marinated in salt, cloves, sugar, cider vinegar and water to cover. One - two days in the brine. To serve, drain and plate.

Pickles of red beets• Can of beets in water, small whole ones. Marinade in salt, pepper, bay and red wine vinegar to cover. One - two days. To serve, drain and plate.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original text:Ramequins of onions & garlick pg 91”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Take your onions, and stamp them in a mortar, with salt and much pepper. You may put to it some Anchovies well melted with a little butter, your onions being upon the bread fried in oil or butter. Pass the fire-shovell red hot over it and serve. The Ramequin of Garlick:• Is done the same way

Literal meaning of text:Ramequins of Onions: Mince shallots with salt and pepper then a small amount of anchovy cooked in butter. Put mixture in mortar and stamp. Then spread on bread and heat till crispy on one side.

Ramequins of Garlic: Mince fresh garlic with salt and pepper then a small amount of cooked in butter. Put mixture in mortar and stamp. Then spread on bread and heat till crispy on one side.

First redaction:Ramequins of Onions• Mince shallots with salt and pepper then a small amount of anchovy oil. Put mixture in mortar and make mush. Then spread on crispy baguette.

Ramequins of Garlic• Mince fresh garlic with salt and pepper then a small amount of anchovy oil. Put mixture in mortar and make mush. Then spread on crispy baguette.

Due to the constraints of having a feast in a site with no kitchen, some alterations to preparation had to take place. Instead of toasting the bread after the spread was put on I will be toasting it before hand. I have added oil to the mixes so they are easier to spread. The addition of a full anchovy enhances the creaminess of the onion mix that was complementary to the crispness of the toast points. In actuality, toasting the bread a slight bit adds another depth of flavor to the dish. I did not add the anchovy or its oil to the garlic version as it was fiery hot to the taste; even with out the anchovy it was a very strong flavor. The use of pre-cut garlic diminished the overpowering garlic flavor and heat so this is what I will use for the feast.

Final redaction:Toast points of Onions• Mince shallots with salt and pepper then a small amount of anchovy and its oil plus some olive oil. Put mixture in food processor and make mush. Then spread on baguette, which has been toasted on one side over the BBQ

Toast points of Garlic• Mince garlic with salt and pepper put mixture in mortar and make mush add olive oil. Then spread on baguette, which has been toasted on one side over the BBQ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original text:Eggs farced pg 163 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Take sorrel, alone if you will, or with other herbs, wash and swing them, then mince them very small, and put them between two dishes with fresh butter, or pass them in a pan. After they are passed, stove and season them. After your farce is sod, take some hard eggs, cut them into halfes, across or in length, and take out the yolks, and mince them with your farce: and after all is well mixed, stove them over fire, and put to it little nutmeg, and serve garnished with the whites of your eggs, which you may brown in the pan with brown butter.

Literal meaning of text:Stuffed Eggs: Take sorrel, alone if you will, or with other herbs, wash and dry them, then mince them very small, sauté them with fresh butter, then season them. After the stuffing is cooked add the hard boiled egg (which have been cut in half) yolks to it after it is well mixed cook/heat it, add some nutmeg and serve garnish with the egg whites, which you may brown in the pan with brown butter.

I chose not to fry the whites in butter because they got overly chewy. The term “farced” means to stuff, therefore my mind leapt to “deviled eggs”. By re-cooking the yolk mixture I ended up with a gritty mix that was not pleasant so I omitted the re-cooking and added some extra liquid to make a smoother mix to accommodate the modern sensibilities. I had a heck of a time finding sorrel so as a replacement I chose to put in thyme and chives with a touch of saffron to add unique flavor.

Final redaction:Eggs farced• Herbs; thyme, saffron, salt, pepper, chives, / butter and half & halfStuffing: Put all spices in mortar and crush. Finely chop the chives. Mix together then add in the cooked egg yolks, mix. Slowly add half & half to get creamy texture. Put stuffing into egg whites, garnish with nutmeg and serve.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original text:Potage of raspberries pg 133 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Allay some eggs with some raspberries, and strain all together. Boil some milk well seasoned with salt, and when it boils, powre your implements into it and stir it well. Take it up, garnish it with raspberries, and serve.

Literal meaning of text:Soup of raspberries: Mix some eggs with some raspberries, and strain all together. Boil some milk and season it with salt, and when it boils, pour your egg and raspberry mix into it and stir it well. Remove from heat, garnish it with raspberries, and serve.

First redaction:Potage of raspberries• One - two eggs, 2 cups raspberries, 1/8 tps Salt, 1cup ½ & ½, blend egg and berries very well then add hot milk, mix again strain. Garnish it with raspberries then serve.

The first time I tried this recipe I forgot to do one little thing, strain the mix. My first try was full of little seeds from the raspberries! Mental note DON’T forget to strain. This redaction was Very bitter. I added sugar to make it more palatable to the modern tastes.

Second redaction:Potage of raspberries• Two egg yolks, 2 cups raspberries, 1/8 tps Salt, 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 cup ½ & ½, blend egg and briers very well then add hot milk, mix again, strain, then heat more over a double boiler (more like a custard). Garnish it with raspberries then serve.

Wow, still not right, ends up like yogurt gone wrong, kind of like rennet, but still bitter to taste.

Final redaction:Potage of raspberries• One whole egg, 2 cups raspberries, 1/8 tps Salt, 3 Tbs. sugar, 2 cups ½ & ½, blend egg and briers very well then add hot milk and mix strain, heat some more till thickened to cover back of spoon. Garnish it with raspberries then serve.

Very good as a palette cleanser for the first course.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original text:Roast chicken with orange-cinnamon sauce Platina “de honesta voluptate” book six recipe #16Roast Chicken: You will roast a chicken after it has been well plucked, cleaned and washed: and after roasting it, put it into a dish before it cools off and pour over it either orange juice or verjuice with rosewater, sugar and well ground cinnamon and serve it to your guests. Bucinus is fond of this because likes to eat sour and sweet things together, to check his bile, by which he is often disturbed. And this is fattening.

Although in period this would have been an entire chicken cooked by rotisserie I have chosen to use chicken pieces cooked via BBQ so serving would be simpler. I find that in a feast of a hundred not every one knows how or wants to carve a chicken. When served, the sauce should be on the chicken and on the side so dinners can get extra it is that yummy. The rose water adds a freshness that’s unbelievable.

This is one of the recipes that is not from the The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G. IT was added for its simplicity that matches the rest of the meal. The recipe comes from Italy and Platina; as we know, the French used many of Platina’s recipes.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original text:Langouste with white sauce pg 154 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.It is done the same way as the lobster, serve it dry with parsley.“lobster with white sauce” After it is sod, take out the bones and cut the flesh into peeces, which you shall fry with butter, minced parsley and drop of verjuice; which being done, take three or four yolks of eggs, with little of nutmeg, and put them in a pan. Serve forthwith, and garnish with the feet of your lobster.

Literal meaning of text:Langouste with white sauce: after it is cooked/ boiled remove all meat from shell cut it up fry it in butter add to this parsley verijuce and them add some egg yolks put in pan and serve with claws as garnish.

This recipe does not have a very good explanation of “White Sauce” but La Varenne does have other recipe with white sauce in them. The best one to see how the sauce was made is “Sparagus with white sauce” “Sparagus with white sauce” pg 183 LaV : As they come from the garden, scrape them and cut them equally: seeth them with water and salt. Take them out, as little sod as you can, it is the better, and set them a draining. Then make a sauce with Fresh butter, the yolk of an egg, salt, nutmeg and a small drop of vinegar when all is well stirred together and the sauce allayed, serve your sparagus.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.Langouste definition: Large edible crustaceans, having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of a true lobster. Can also be known as sea crawfish, spiny lobster, rock lobster, crawfish, and crayfish; warm-water lobsters without claws; those from Australia and South Africa usually marketed as frozen tails; caught also in Florida and California

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original text:Salat of Lemon pg 88 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Take Lemons, what quantity you will, peel them, and cut them into very thin slices. Put them with sugar, orange & pomegranate flowers then serve neatly.

A salad of lemons, while may have appealed to the medieval tastes, would go over poorly at a modern feast. I thought that adding an additional citrus fruit would that was more palatable would improve the dish for the modern tastes, yet not deter from the ideal of the recipe of a citrus salad. However, while I have found a few references to salads of various fruits, I was unable to find one that included oranges. Despite this, I have chosen to add oranges to the lemon salad.

Salat of Pomergranate pg 100 LaV Pick your granates, put them on a plate, sugar them and garnish with lemon, then serve.

Final redaction:• Salad of Lemons and Oranges• Peal and slice oranges and lemons, plate and sprinkle with sugar. Garnish with fresh flowers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original text:Lentils pg 221 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• After they are well sod, pass them in the pan with fresh butter, salt pepper, little of fine herbs and chibols. When they are well fried, serve them. You may serve them like pease broth. If you find them hard to be passed (or strained) stamp them in a mortar. They may also be served with salat oile passed in the pan

Literal meaning of text:After they are well cooked, saute with fresh butter, salt pepper, little of fine herbs and chibols. When they are well fried, serve them. You may serve them like “peas broth”. If you find them hard after you have sautéed them (or strained) stamp them in a mortar. They may also be served with salad oil sautéed in the pan“Pease broth” pg 209 LaV : For to make pease broth clear, and that it be good, steep your pease from one day to the next, after you have cleansed them well: then seeth them with river or fountine water lukewarm. When they are almost enough, take out your pease and use it for what you will. You will find the broth of herbs in the potages for lean days.

I believe the statement “You may serve them like pease broth” means that you may serve them like a potage with peas broth added to them; a more liquid like consistency to the dish. What is a potage? It can be a soup, stew, gruel. Or not sautéed and boiled only.

I have chosen to use the black lentils due to their availability and cost and their substitutability for the French green lentil.

Lentil description:French green lentils = Puy lentils = lentilles du Puy = lentilles vertes du Puy : These choice lentils were originally grown in the volcanic soils of Puy in France, but now they're also grown in North America and Italy. They're especially good in salads since they remain firm after cooking and have a rich flavor. They cook a bit slower than other lentils. Substitutes: beluga lentils OR brown lentils beluga lentil = black beluga lentil = beluga black lentil = petite beluga lentil Notes: These glisten when they're cooked, which makes them look like beluga caviar. They're great in soups or salads. Substitutes: French green lentils. The Cooks Thesaurus foodsubs.com/Lentils.html

The name of the dish is all I have to go on it sounds pretty self explanatory. I believe La Varenne thought the same thing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original text:Cream of pistaches pg 85 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Take one handfull of Pistaches stamped, and a quart of milk, boil it with a implement of metal, which you shall mix with it. When it is almost sod, allay six yolks of eggs with our Pistaches, and a little butter very new, put it all in a pan with store of sugar and little salt. If you will, you may put in it Musk or Amber also, with much sugar but very little Musk. Beat all well together, and serve garnished with flowers.

Literal meaning of text:Take a hand full of pistachios and crush them in to paste add a quart of milk, boil it in a pot and stir well. When it is almost done, mix in six egg yolks and some butter, season it with salt and sugar. You may also add Musk or Amber (these would have been in a powder form) adding lots of sugar but not much Musk. Serve garnished with flowers.

Exerpt from Musk An Essay by Stephen Fowler 1. Look at the reality of musk. Not limited to strong perfumes of questionable taste, musk is in fact the basic ingredient of practically all perfumes, from the most expensive and refined French florals to the sleaziest reek of high school hoochies. Everything in your medicine cabinet contains musk: soaps, shampoos, powders, cosmetics, bath oils, even your toothpaste. It is an ingredient in household cleansers, laundry detergents, insect repellents, and almost every other commercial product that requires fragrance - including food. Does the label say "artificially flavored?" Musk is added to fruit flavors, vanilla, chocolates, licorice, hard candy, chewing gum... The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.1. The gland of the Musk Dear, found only in males, grows to the size of a hen's egg; the secretion is reddish-brown, with a honey like consistency and a strong odor that may function in the animal as a sexual attractant. After the pouch is cut the secretion hardens, assumes a blackish-brown color, and when dry becomes granular. In commerce the musk pouches are called "musk pods," and the dried secretion "musk grains."

I would like to try one day to add musk to this dish and see how it changes it. But not for this feast.

Ahhh third time is the charm, not custard or a liquid, has almost the consistency of a mousse.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original text:Suckling pig farced Platina “de honesta voluptate” book six, recipe #14• Roast Piglet: Slit the throat of a suckling pig and scrape all the bristles from the skin. Then slit it the length of the spine and take out what is in the belly. Finely chop the little liver with lard, garlic, and aromatic herbs, grated cheese, beaten eggs, peeper and saffron mix well the above. And put all into the piglet which is turned inside out and close it so the stuffing does not come out. It can be cooked on the spit or over the grill with slow fire so that is all equally good to eat. While it is cooking it is often sprinkled with vinegar pepper saffron mixed together with sage or sprigs of rosemary or bay

Final Redaction:Suckling pig farced / Roasted pork with cheese stuffing• Stuffing: one small clove garlic minced very well, saffron, pepper, thyme, rosemary and a smidge of sage, one egg and mix all together then add ½ lb. grated cheese (gruyere). Make a hole in the pork loin insert a generous amount of filling. Out side is seasoned with saffron, thyme, pepper and salt ground in mortar. (Add extra cheese to after it has cooked) Bake at 400-convection 35 min. approximately.

I wish I could have gotten suckling pigs but yet again it was cost prohibitive. I have also omitted the liver because I could not fine any pig liver and substituting calf liver was not a very good experiment. I have found that pig liver is much sweeter and fattier then its beef counter part. This is the other recipe that comes from Italy and Platina.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original text:Sparagus with cream pg 183 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Cut them into three, and when you have whitened them, fry them alike well seasoned. After they are fried, put your cream in, and stove them with it. If the sauce is too thin, put some yolks of eggs in it for to thicken it, and serve

Literal meaning of text:Cut them into three, and when you have steep in water either hot or cold till white or plump or both. Then sauté them, well seasoned. After they are sautéed, put your cream in, and cook them with it. If the sauce is too thin, put some yolks of eggs in it to thicken it. Then serve.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://ed.wikipedia.orgAsparagus is a type of vegtinble obtained from one species within the genus Asparagus, specifically the young shoots of Asparagus officinalis. It has been used from very early times as a culinary vegetable, owing to its delicate flavour and duretic properties. There is a recipie for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’s 3rd century CE De re coquinaria, Book III.Asparagus was first cultivated 2000 years ago in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. The Greeks and Romans loved asparagus for its flavor, texture, and medicinal qualities. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus that they kept special boats for the purpose of fetching it and called them the "Asparagus fleet". While the Greeks never seemed to garden asparagus, the Romans had specific directions on how to cultivate asparagus by 200 BC. They would eat the asparagus in season as well as preserve it for later consumption by freezing. Asparagus gained popularity in France and England in the 16th Century and was then introduced to North America. Native Americans would dry the asparagus for later medicinal uses. Asparagus has also been depicted in ancient Egyptian writings and was also grown in Syria and Spain in ancient times.

Original text:Mushrums after the Olivier pg 96 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• After they are well cleansed, cut them in to quarters, and wash them in several waters to take off the earth. After they are well cleansed, put them between two dishes with an onion and some salt, then set tem on the chaufing dish, that they may cast their water; press them between two plates. Take very fresh butter, with parsley and chibol, and fry them, then stove them, and after they are well sob, you may put them some cream or white meat, and serve.

Literal meaning of text:After they are well cleaned, cut them in to quarters, and wash them in several time in water to take off the dirt. After they are well cleaned, put them in a pan with some onion and some salt, then set them on low heat, that they may cast their water; press them between two plates. Take very fresh butter, with parsley and chibol, and sauté all ingredients together and after they are well cooked, you may add some cream or white meat, and serve.“White meat” pg 88 LaV : Take the thickest of your Gelee (type of gelatin), make it lukewarm with Almonds well stamped. Strain them together through a napkin, and mix a drop of milk with it if it is not white enough. After it is cold, serve and garnish with other colour.

Final redaction:Mushrooms after the Olivier• Cut mushroom in ¼ sauté with shallot, salt & butter, render all liquid and garnishes with parsley then serve

I have left the mushroom dish at its bare minimum, no sauce, so that it will have a distinction between it and the asparagus dish with the cream sauce. I have used the champignon in this dish as it is the most common today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Original text:Eggs with bread pg164 ”The French Cook” Francois Pierre La Varenne Englished by I.D.G.• Take bread, crum it, and pass it through a straining pan, if you will. Melt some butter; after it is melted, put it with your bread and some sugar. Ten choose some very new layd eggs, as many as you have occasion for, and beat them well with your bread, sugar, butter, salt and little milk. For to seeth them, melt a peece of butter very hot, put your implements into it, and seeth it. For to give them a colour, pass the fire-shovell red hot over them, and serve your eggs sugared. You may make them ready in a dish or in a tourte pan.

Literal meaning of text:Take bread crumbs, and make sure they are all bout the same size, if you want. Melt some butter; after it is melted, put it with your bread and some sugar. Then choose some fresh eggs, as many as you can spare, and beat them well and add it to your bread, sugar, butter, add salt and little milk. To cook them, melt some butter in a pan, put your ingredients into it, and cook it. For to give them a color, put the heat from the top. And serve your eggs sugared. You may make them ready in a dish or in a torte pan.

Final redactionEggs with bread• 4 cups bread crumbs (hand crumbled day old bread), 6 eggs, 2 half cups & half, 3 Tbs. brown sugar, 2 Tbs. butter, Extra sprinkle of sugar on top after baking. Mix all wet ingredients together, add bread crumbs. Backing dish should be buttered. Add mix to backing dish bake for 35 minuets at 375. Need to re-worm on site, when it is time to serve plate and sprinkle with sugar.

If I had a description of the consistency of this dish or had the ratio of eggs to bread, it would have made the redaction much easier. Without it I will never know if what I made is even close to what was done. I tried this recipe about 10 different ways, my consistency varied from an omelet to coagulated oatmeal. After a few failures I decided to pattern this on a modern bread pudding. Commercially available breadcrumbs have too fine a consistency which caused a rubbery dense product which testers found inedible.